Partnering with Black Duck to assure the security of Password Safe
The challenge: Strenuous security testing from a trusted partner
Sascha Martens, chief technology officer and cyber security evangelist at MATESO, noted, “For us, security is not just an option. It is a promise we make to our customers, and we work hard every day to keep that promise.”
To assure the ongoing security of its flagship Password Safe solution, MATESO wanted to partner with a world-class application security company whose evaluation both MATESO and its customers could trust. The company turned to Black Duck®, the Leader for application security testing in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. Black Duck helps companies worldwide manage software security and code quality risks.
“Our latest version of Password Safe includes many new features,” said Martens. “It was important that both the web application client and the thick client side were strenuously tested to minimize risk for our customers. Our goal was to find and eliminate vulnerabilities as well as to receive detailed reports and practicable remediation guidance that we could build on as needed. Black Duck has the extensive, in-depth application security testing experience and know-how we needed.”
The solution: Professional services penetration testing from Black Duck
A penetration test is an authorized simulated attack performed on a computer system to evaluate its security. Penetration testers use the same tools, techniques, and processes as attackers to find and demonstrate the business impacts of weaknesses in systems.
Penetration tests usually simulate a variety of different attacks that could threaten a business. A penetration test might examine whether a system is robust enough to resist attacks from authenticated and unauthenticated positions, as well as from a range of system roles. With the right scope, a penetration test can dive into any aspect of a system.
Black Duck professional services penetration testing enables companies like MATESO to tailor the assessments based on their current needs to systematically find and eliminate potential business-critical vulnerabilities in their running applications. Black Duck consultants use a variety of testing tools and in-depth manual tests focused on finding vulnerabilities. Customers can select from multiple levels of penetration testing assessments in order to get the true testing they need based on the risk profile of each application.
Our goal was to find and eliminate business-critical vulnerabilities as well as to receive practicable remediation guidance that we could build on as needed."
Sascha Martens
|CTO, MATESO
The results: Thorough analysis, actionable results for MATESO
“Black Duck identified that our security controls for Password Safe were effective in resisting common attack patterns like input validation attacks and confidentiality breaches,” said Martens. “The penetration testing process was very well-structured and planned out. Before and during the test, we had a communication channel open with a short time to react, and Black Duck kept MATESO updated on their progress. Thanks to a thorough scoping of our application environment and detailed preparation, Black Duck was able to deliver a report in about two and a half weeks.”
“One of the benefits of that report was action recommendations that the Black Duck consultants went over in detail with our team in their follow-up meeting. We were very impressed by the consultants’ professionalism, work ethos, and methods. Black Duck is definitely a candidate MATESO would call on for further penetration tests,” said Martens.
Company Overview
MATESO is an innovative German company that provides an advanced solution, Password Safe, for managing identities, passwords, and documents safely. Companies worldwide, including 20 of the top 30 German companies trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, use MATESO’s Password Safe solution to protect their data and systems.
Recognizing the need for enterprise-level password management, the managing director of MATESO, Thomas Malchar, developed a complete enterprise password management solution, making secure access to sensitive data easier, increasing corporate security, and improving employee efficiency.
MATESO’s high security standards are reinforced by regular third-party external audits, including penetration testing, to identify and resolve security gaps.
Resources to manage your AppSec risk at enterprise scale
Software Vulnerability Snapshot
Learn about the 10 most common web and software app vulnerabilities
Download the report
Managing Risk at Scale
Learn how to gain visibility and secure your apps across the enterprise
Download the white paper
BSIMM14
Get the trends and recommendations to help improve your software security program
Download the report
Improve your AppSec program TCO and risk posture
Three steps to consolidate your effort, insight, and tools
Download the guide